Proposal Manager

We are looking for an experienced Manager - Proposals to lead the end-to-end proposal development process for large-scale warehouse automation and supply chain transformation projects. The role sits at the intersection of Sales, Solution Engineering, Product, Delivery, and Finance, translating customer requirements into commercially viable, technically robust, and executable implementation proposals. The ideal candidate should have strong experience in proposal/bid management, implementation planning, project estimation, commercial models, and cross-functional stakeholder management.

We are looking for a professional who can effectively bridge the gap between customer requirements, technical feasibility, commercial considerations, and project execution. The successful candidate should be comfortable working with multiple stakeholders and taking ownership of proposals from initial requirement assessment through final submission and implementation planning.

The candidate will have responsibilities across the following functions:

Proposal and Bid Management:

• Lead the complete proposal lifecycle from RFP/RFQ evaluation through proposal submission.
• Partner with Sales and cross-functional teams to develop compelling, customer-centric proposals.
• Own proposal planning, coordination, reviews, approvals, and timely submission.
• Ensure proposals meet quality, commercial, technical, and compliance standards.
• Track proposal turnaround time, success metrics, and continuously improve proposal efficiency.

Solution Scoping and Implementation Planning:

• Understand customer business requirements, warehouse operations, and automation objectives.
• Define implementation scope, project methodology, deployment approach, timelines, milestones, and acceptance criteria.
• Develop implementation plans covering installation, commissioning, UAT, go-live, and hypercare.
• Collaborate with Delivery, Engineering, and Product teams to validate implementation feasibility.
• Prepare effort estimates, resource plans, implementation schedules, and cost models.

Commercial and Engagement Model Development:

• Develop proposals across different commercial engagement models, including: CapEx, Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS), SaaS, Hybrid Models, System Integrator-led Deployments, Direct Deployments.
• Work closely with Finance and PMO to validate costing, pricing, margins, and commercial assumptions.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Work closely with Sales, Product Management, Engineering, Solution Engineering, Supply Chain, Installation and Commissioning, Delivery, and PMO teams.
• Facilitate requirement-gathering sessions, customer workshops, and implementation discussions.
• Translate customer expectations into executable project deliverables.
• Ensure technical assumptions and implementation risks are aligned across stakeholders.

Proposal Documentation and Knowledge Management:

• Develop high-quality proposal documentation covering:
• Implementation methodology
• Project plans
• Timelines
• Resource plans
• Risk and mitigation registers
• Assumptions and dependencies
• Solution overviews
• Maintain proposal templates, documentation standards, and knowledge repositories.
• Drive continuous improvement of proposal content and best practices.

Customer Engagement:

• Participate in customer meetings, workshops, technical discussions, and proposal walkthroughs.
• Respond to customer clarifications during the bidding process.
• Support Sales teams during solution presentations and implementation discussions.

Requirements:

• 8-12 years of relevant professional experience.
• Strong experience in proposal management, bid management, RFP/RFQ management, and project estimation.
• Strong understanding of warehouse operations, supply chain processes, and warehouse automation.
• Experience in implementation planning and project execution.
• Knowledge of automation deployment methodologies and project execution lifecycle.
• Strong commercial awareness and cost-estimation capabilities.
• Excellent stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong documentation and presentation abilities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and project documentation tools.

Preferred Qualifications:

Candidates with experience in the following areas will be preferred:

• Warehouse automation
• Robotics
• Material handling systems
• WMS / WES
• Supply chain technology
• Large-scale enterprise deployments
• Global customer proposals
• Large RFP/RFQ responses
• Product-based technology or engineering organisations